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Free Online Courses on Coursera to Boost Your Career Skills

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Updated January 03, 2018

There are so many free resources online that can truly bring an edge to your job search, and if you’re smart about your use of time, you can really get a leg up and . Those are skills that equip you to ace a job interview and function well in the workplace. Employers seek candidates with strong soft skills for almost every position they hire for because people with strong soft skills are excellent communications.

If you have downtime between and applying to jobs, or if you’re currently unemployed and looking for a constructive way to fill your day, you should take advantage of the opportunity to give yourself a competitive advantage over other candidates. These free courses will do just that. Do keep in mind, if you want to receive a certificate you'll need to pay for the course. Some components may not be available unless you opt for the paid version.

Free Online Courses on Coursera to Boost Your Career Skills

What You Will Learn: How to Ace an Interview, Even When You’re Really NervousTake - This 18-hour course is an intense one, but you’ll be so, so glad you took it. After all - public speaking skills are hugely applicable to interviewing when you’ll likely be put on the spot to sell yourself, and to answer tough questions. This course teaches immensely useful oral that strengthen your interview skills and help you later on in your career when you need to make presentations or speak during meetings.

What You Will Learn: How to Get Better at WritingTake - No matter your field or level of expertise, strong writing skills will always give you an advantage as a job candidate, and in your career. You need to write well to craft a strong cover letter, communicate effectively with co-workers and clients, write engaging emails, write compelling presentations, and so much more. Coursera’s High-impact Business Writing is a four to eight-hour course that is 100% worth it.

What You Will Learn: How to Negotiate a Sale, Salary, or Raise​Take - Negotiation will be a part of every aspect of your career - from answering tricky questions in an interview, to negotiating a job offer or a raise, to making deals with clients and colleagues. This course teaches a tangible, a multi-purpose strategy that you can use for all three - and in many more situations, too.

What You Will Learn: How to Make Tough Decisions at WorkTake - Conflicts are inevitable in the workplace, and managers appreciate employees who approach issues in an intelligent, intentional manner. This four to eight-hour course will show you how to assess problems, evaluate solutions and anticipate risks, using real case studies so you can gain a sense of real-life situations you might encounter in your own career.

What You Will Learn: How to Understand Your Company's Finances and Accounting PracticesTake - Even if you aren’t in finance, having a basic understanding of your company’s financial strategy is extremely helpful. Not only will it provide you with a comprehension of how your role interacts with the organization’s larger goals, but it will also inform your own decisions, both personal and professional.

What You Will Learn: How to Be Happy at WorkTake - Your satisfaction in your personal life and your contentment in your career are interdependent. If you are unhappy in general, a negative mood will likely have a negative effect on your performance at work. If you hate your job, you’ll probably be miserable even when you’re not actually working. This course might not seem so relevant to your career, but, it will certainly help you obtain a positive work-life balance and cheer up your prospects even if you’re in the midst of a dreary job search.

More Free Career Courses

These are only some of the career-related courses that are available. using general terms like career, resume, skills, or specific keywords related to the topic you'd like to learn more about, to find more course offerings. If you're looking to enhance your tech skills, check out these .

Add Your Courses to Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile

Be sure to add the most relevant courses you have taken to your LinkedIn profile and your resume. You'll have more skills to add to both, and taking classes shows that you're moving your career forward and boosting your expertise.